Black Camellia
by Sparrow-chan
Summary: "Shinobi Rule #45: A Shinobi must be willing to sacrifice for the greater good." What does Orihime Hatake sacrifice? She sacrifices her morals, her innocence, her happiness. All so she can attempt to be a legendary kunoichi's long-awaited successor for the village's wellbeing. And she does not complain, even though it eats her up from the inside out.
1. Chapter 1: Flights of Angels

**Black Camellia**

By Sparrow-chan

 **…**

 **PART 1:** Heaven

Chapter 1: Flights of Angels

 **…**

 _Tap, tap, tap._

Sharp lights illuminate an already glaringly bright, white hallway.

 _Tap, tap, tap._

Two young men are set up before a closed room, one standing and the other sitting on a plain white bench. A red sign peers down at them from above two heavy-looking doors, glowing with the word _O_ _perating_.

 _Tap, tap, tap_

"You know-" The tapping pauses briefly at the interruption. The speaker breaks under the pressure of his companion's full attention. "...Nevermind."

"What was it?"

"Nothing, really," The young man chuckles apologetically, though it sounds mismatched with his robust, chesty laugh. His friend stares for a moment before going back to tapping his foot on the linoleum tiles of the hospital floor, looking intently at the closed doors. He sits down but occasionally will stand briskly to stretch his legs by pacing back and forth in front of the occupied room. When he returns the bench, his foot inevitably begins again a rhythmic tapping pattern on the floor.

 _Tap, tap, tap._

Impatient and nervous.

 _Tap, tap, tap._

"Well-"

"Guy?"

"Yes?"

"Don't make me any tenser." Guy scratches the back of his head, frowning. He's not the most handsome man in the world- with a squashed nose, a bowl-cut, and bushy eyebrows- but his eyes sparkle and so do his teeth. Those two features alone could've been his saving grace, if it weren't for the obnoxious green jumpsuit and orange leg warmers he dawns. Guy crosses his arms and tries to think of something calming to say to his friend, before seating himself on the bench.

"Kakashi, I won't bother you." Kakashi looks at Guy out of the corner of his eye. Kakashi isn't much more stranger looking than Guy. His mouth, nose and a decent part of his cheeks are covered by a dark blue mask. His right eye is shielded with a forehead protector, with a portion of his silver hair falling messily over the _hen-tei_. Occasionally, he'll pull at it unconsciously. His left eye- the only part of his face showing- is sharply shaped, slated ever-so slightly downwards. The black iris darts about the hallway, looking intensely about him as if in battle. Usually, he carries himself in a relaxed, casual manner. Today, the situation is a bit too overwhelming for him to be acting cool.

"That's good." He murmurs sarcastically.

"But…" Guy huffs. "It's hard to think of something good to say in this sort of situation."

"No, really?" Kakashi deadpans. He leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees, tightly pressing his hands together.

"But I'll try anyway." The green-wearing man ramps himself up. "How old are you?"

"..." Kakashi hangs his head, resigning himself to Guy's comforts. "Eighteen."

"How old is Asako?"

"Eighteen."

Guy spreads his hands.

"It's not that weird."

"It's very weird."

"Yeah, for _civilians_. We're _ninja_. Shinobi have strange customs- you know that." The silver-haired man attempts to glare at his friend, but acknowledges to himself that Guy is not the type to recognize visually when he's getting on someone's nerves.

"I'm not worried about our ages, Guy."

"Ah," Guy once more crosses his arms and nods his head, understanding. "So it's the fear, huh? _Will I be good enough_? And _what if I fail her_? Well, don't fear, my rival. I know that you can overcome any obstacle in your way."

"Really, Guy…"

"Oh, I was wrong again?" Guy energizes, growing passionate in his efforts. "Okay, so, it's because you two are unmarried. No one cares about that! All our friends support you-"

"Guy." The babbling finally stops. Kakashi straightens, his back cracking unintentionally. "I'm worried because we aren't married, I'm nervous because we're young, I'm scared that I'll be a shit dad. All three are correct. No need to analyze."

They stare again at that red word: _O_ _perating_.

It should say: _Delivery in Progress_.

Guy does not know what to do. This is not something that was taught in the Academy. In the Academy, aspiring ninjas were taught how _deny_ emotion. That was the crash course he and his generation went through. They graduated within two years, since Konohagakure was at war, and the top priority was teaching the children how to conduct themselves on the battlefield, not off. Now, Guy is sure he can perform any mission protocol perfectly- it's handling matters off duty that ends up catching him.

He wants to help Kakashi by citing some empathetic and insightful quote about human nature, but none comes to mind. There is no real moral lesson- at least, nothing he can understand. He truly believes what he said: there is nothing unnatural about the situation. Maybe this is the wrong time to bringing a new life into the world, since all three of them are still working out what they want for themselves. But that does not mean it is an act that should be treated with shame.

Guy straightens. The Academy taught him that there is never a time for self-pity, and that's probably the only thing that's helpful to him at the moment.

"Marriage is…I don't know a lot about marriage, but you and her have love, so that's fixed right there." Kakashi stares at him sideways. "And as for your ages, you'd have to be deaf not to have heard about ninja having children young to raise the body counts of their clans. Asako is the last of the Ueda, so it's only natural she'd start having kids now. And…You'll be a fine dad. You excel at everything- as expected of my rival."

Kakashi sighs out a long breath.

"You think so?"

Guy laughs loudly.

"Of course!"

Perhaps Kakashi smiles, but Guy can't tell. It's not the root of the problem, but it works for at least a little while to calm the expectant father down. One agonizing hour later, the red sign blinks off. The walls grow even more illuminated for Kakashi. He watches the doors intensely, analyzing every crack and bump and scratch. He listens for sounds, echoes, scraps of conversation between hushed doctors.

And after an eternity, the doors spread apart, a nurse steps forward, and Kakashi Hatake hears a baby crying.

 **…**

 _We are not perfect. But we can try._

 **…**

* * *

Hey guyyys! Thanks for reading the first chapter :) Hope you liked it! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me! I'll reply via PM and also publish the answer at the beginning of the next chapter so others who may share your question can see my response. Thanks again for reading~


	2. Chapter 2: 8 Years Later

February 6th: Hullo! Welcome to chapter 2. I swear I haven't been lazy in writing this; in fact, I've been editing this one chapter for like, three weeks now. I don't know when I became such a perfectionist, but I finally feel comfortable with putting this out! Prepare to meet our adorable protagonist, Kakashi's one and only daughter...!

* * *

 **Black Camellia**

By Sparrow-chan

 **…**

 **PART 1:** Heaven

Chapter 2: 8 Years Later

 **…**

The air is still.

Sitting alone in an empty classroom, a little girl bites the inside of her cheek and studies her surroundings. She can feel the remnants of fellow children's energy, left by drawings carved slyly into the long tables and a lone pack of crayons resting on the windowpane beside her. She reaches out for the crayons, before retracting her hand with mild embarrassment. The owner may be mad if she borrows the colorful tools, after all. From the large windows, early morning sunlight streams in and paints every aspect of the room in pastel colors, so that even the shadows are a hazy grey. It is a moment of unnerving peace for the young student, an infinity of waiting in pure silence.

The sliding door opens suddenly, the sound setting her on edge. She crams her hands between her knees for comfort as a man with light brown hair and gentle-looking eyes enters, fiddling with papers. When he looks up and sees her, he smiles soothingly. He looks just the type to be in charge of children: broad-shouldered and plain looking, but with a kind smile and brotherly aura that younglings often take to. She wonders what he thinks of her, a small girl sitting at a big desk, wearing a pink polka-dotted shirt. She knows she shouldn't have worn the pink polka-dotted shirt.

"Orihime Hatake?" The instructor asks, moving towards the table where she sits. The girl nods. "Hello. My name is Iruka Umino."

"Nice to meet you." Orihime scoots forward.

"Do you know why you are here today?"

Orihime pauses. It's odd that Iruka would ask her that, as if she weren't sure. She's been wishing to be here since she started attending the Academy two years ago, chasing day dreams of praise and elevation like all children do. Of course, unlike most children, her dreams consisted of slicing through targets with fancy knives and summoning great beasts to fight alongside.

"My teachers suggested it because I've shown enough skill to be placed in a higher grade."

"Exactly. We were impressed to see you perform the clone jutsu at your age." Iruka smiles at her, shuffling through his papers again and placing a five-page packet face-down on the desk in front of her. He turns and obtains a seat from the corner of the room. Once he's seated in front of her desk, he begins asking her questions.

"Are you worried about this?"

"What do you mean?"

Iruka folds his hands in his lap and leans forward.

"Well, if all goes well, you will be placed in a higher grade, which is pretty nerve wrecking. And if all goes _great_ , you could graduate early, which is also pretty nerve wrecking." He holds her gaze steadily, his smile considerate. "You're a talented kid. If we were in wartime right now, you'd be promoted without consideration of your feelings. But we aren't, so you do have a choice."

"Oh." Orihime considers it. True to Iruka's words, no one had asked her how she felt. In fairness she hadn't given her much reason to question her stance on the matter; she had preformed well in all her classes and never denied her own ambitions. But once she finally achieved her far-off goal, there were doubts in her heart that were difficult to address. She felt like her insecurities were betrayals to the way she was acting, and though her father gave her opportunities to, she couldn't speak out about the new fears plaguing her. "Well...Honestly, I do think it'll be scary. But I don't think that I should let my work go to waste."

"Okay," Iruka straightens up, accepting of her answer. "Do you have a lot of friends?"

"...Yes."

"Do you know any students in the graduating class?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"The Naras. I know Shikamaru and Seiyuri. And, I guess, Sasuke Uchiha." It occurs to her he meant _'know'_ as in _'are friends with'_. She isn't sure how to clarify herself and he moves on before she can. She justifies herself by blaming her nervousness, since she has a history of becoming jumpy whenever there are butterflies in her stomach. Besides, it's not like she hasn't had friendly interactions with those listed.

 _But I haven't talked to Sasuke since I was three…_

"Who do you live with?"

"My dad, Kakashi."

"I've heard he's a very great shinobi."

"Thank you. I'll tell him you said that."

"Ah, no need." Iruka chuckles. He pauses and appraises her, before firmly nodding. "You're a very polite girl."

Orihime tucks stray hair behind her ear and says 'thank you' again.

"Well, how about we start the test, hm?" Iruka produces a pencil and flips over the packet he placed had placed down earlier. Then he stands up and moves to the podium at the front of the room. "I'll be over here grading papers if you need anything."

Orihime nods and takes a deep breath. The packet was filled with questions: math, science, language. Not to mention questions about genjutsu, taijutsu, ninjutsu, hand signs. Some questions were relatively simple to her: _If the target (x) is placed 15 yards away from your position (y) and is moving towards point (z) 12 yards to the right, what is the length of the shortest distance to intercept?_ It was the type of question she went over with her father a few mornings previous. She had spread the textbook flat down with both hands and eagerly scanned the pages, while Kakashi sat across from her and sipped his coffee tiredly, awoken a full hour earlier than necessary.

 _"I like these types of questions,"_ She told him, smiling. He yawned, but nodded at her words, a sign of his attention.

 _"If you like them, then I'm sure you're good at them._ _Why not take a break? We can go for a walk."_

 _"To the training grounds?"_ She clapped together her hands eagerly. _"Will you teach me Kawarimi no Jutsu, Daddy? I mean, I know it, but I wanna do it the way you do!"_

 _"I was thinking of the park,"_ Kakashi chuckled. _"Don't push yourself too much."_

She had promised him she wouldn't, and she wasn't lying, but answering the questions now she feels silly for forcing her father to go over an excessive number of problems with her as if he were her personal tutor. But to be fair, he's never complained about helping her. She smiles at the memory. Thinking of fond memories always manages to calm her down, especially when she becomes overwhelmed. Of course, she needs to remember not to get too stuck in the details of those memories; a false step and she'll be stuck in them, pleasantly day dreaming while time ticks by speedily.

 _Question 39: Write Shinobi Rule #45 in the space provided below._

She pauses, whirling the pencil around in her fingers. She wishes that the Shinobi rules weren't all numbered like that, so plainly. She closes her eyes. Rule #44 is _a shinobi must never betray a comrade's position_ and Rule #46 is _a shinobi should always be moving forward_ , so Rule #45 must be...

 _"Shinobi Rule #45,"_ Kakashi's deep, soothing voice resonates in her head. They sat together on the coach in their living room, her head on his knee. Kakashi's hands held a brown book with a gold-painted spine. He raised an eyebrow at her. _"Are you sure you don't wanna read this yourself?"_

 _"Daddy,"_ She insisted, staring up at him.

 _"I remember when you used to ask me to read you actual bedtime stories. With princesses and dragons- remember the one about the dragon princess?"_

She didn't respond, holding onto her insistent expression. Kakashi shrugged.

 _"Tough crowd._ _Okay._ _Shinobi Rule #45,"_ He stroked her hair. _"A Shinobi must be willing to sacrifice for-"_

Her pencil finishes his sentence, a smile tugging onto her lips.

 _The greater good._

 **…**

When she finishes about an hour later, Iruka is still quietly writing away on tests and assignments. She hands in her work and awkwardly stands beside him as he grades it, telling herself not to look at whether he is leaving behind red checks or Xs. He grins at her.

 _He is good at making people feel comfortable._

"Come with me, Orihime."

After going down the twisting hallways and stairwells of the Academy, Iruka shows her the building's training grounds. Circular targets are lined up near the woods beside the building and dummies are put up for taijutsu practice in a dirt lot near them. A track sits laid out in chalk in an open area, waiting for use. Orihime has been here before many times. Since she entered the Academy when she was six, she's been running nonstop on that track, practicing on these dummies and targets- not to mention asking for instruction and advice from both her father and Uncle Guy. Two years later, her hard work seems to be paying off.

 _As long as I haven't screwed up already._

Her mind goes back to a particularly hard math question which she had, admittedly, half-guessed on. She hopes the answer was 9.43 seconds.

"Now, I've seen your taijutsu scores from your teachers," Iruka hands her a set of kunai, "They're quite good. But a physical assessment is needed for the exam."

Orihime smiles shyly, understanding. Iruka steps back to allow her to begin.

She tests the weight of the six blades in her palms, the thinly wrapped handles doing little to keep her from feeling the cold metal. Just like all kunai, they're light and sharp. Three in one hand, three in the other. She can do this.

 _Just as practiced._

The first time she held a kunai, her father pressed it firmly into her grasp and refused to let go of her hand, squeezing it while showing her how to throw so she wouldn't cut herself. Or maybe it was her mother. Only, she would've had to be really young for it to have been her.

 _"Picture what shape you want to make,"_ Her father, or her mother, whispers. _"Feel the chakra in your hands- it's there. It's will feel uncomfortable at first, like a sting, because you're building it up. But when you release it, something great will happen."_

She breathes in, out, and begins to throw.

 _Thunk-thunk, thunk, thu-thu-thunk._

The six ninja tools all land within half-seconds of each other in the shape of a star. Five outer points and one smack dab in the middle, hit directly on the bulls-eye. Orihime studies the distance between each kunai- is it even and symmetrical? Does Iruka know what she was attempting to outline with only six kunai? She feels the need to ask for more so she can realize her inner-eye's masterpiece, but when she turns to Iruka, she finds him grinning widely down at her.

"Well done! This time I'll give you a few more; can you make a diamond?"

She had always considered diamonds to be easier to throw than stars, since they had straighter lines. But she's not there to argue that case and slowly holds out her hands to receive more of the ninja tool.

"Sure."

 **…**

"Remember when we were kids?"

"I've blocked it out."

"Ha."

Near the Academy grounds, two people stand atop a tall building parallel to the school. One is an average-sized man wearing a green flak jacket and a forehead protector as a bandana. He has no real discernible traits, aside from slightly longer than average hair and dark bags under his eyes. His companion, meanwhile, possesses more defining qualities. The other is a tall woman with long purple hair and red-painted lips. Her eyes, though dark, are highlighted with long, black lashes. On their backs, both carry sheathed swords.

"Hayate, explain _again_ why we are babysitting?" The woman asks with crossed arms.

"I wouldn't have to say it twice if you'd listen the first time," Hayate begins to smile, but is interrupted by a brief cough. "It's Orihime Hatake."

"Ah," The woman reforms her tone instantly, sounding much warmer. "Kakashi's girl? Why didn't you say so sooner?"

"It wouldn't have changed a lot, Yugao."

"It explains why the council wanted our opinions on her progress," Yugao responds. She whistles. "Pink polka-dots. Bold."

"When we were kids I'm pretty sure you wore a bright red shirt with 'lover' written on it."

"Never tell anyone about that," She glares at him, before once again watching Orihime below. "Look at that girl. Impressive kunai-handling."

"She's eight."

" _Eight_?"

"Eight."

"Well, I thought she was short," Yugao taps her chin. "But that just makes her more impressive. Kakashi made Chunin very young. It runs in the blood."

"Uh huh."

"...What?"

"Do you think the council would make a fuss if it was just about Kakashi?"

"He's one of the top ninjas in the village." Yugao points out. The swordsman raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but let's face it: it's not as though powerful ninja always breed powerful children."

For a moment, there is silence. Yugao reaches out and grasps the forbidden fruit of the conversation with just one name.

"Asako?"

Hayate confirms it with a small yet grave nod.

"No other reason they'd be so interested in a ninja's progeny."

They are quiet. Orihime, below, switches from kunai to shuriken and displays matching natural grace with the weapon.

"It's been eight years since they left the anbu to raise their brat."

"And four since she-." Hayate turns to Yugao, considering how to finish the sentence. He struggles between the choice of _disappeared_ and- "Disappeared."

(He is not the type of man to choose the optimistic choice, but sometimes it's easier.)

Yugao kneels down, looking more intently at the child.

"They hope her blood lives on in that girl."

"Ueda blood." The swordsman sniffs. "Lord Hokage is not the type to measure a child up against her predecessor, but the rest of the council aren't so unbiased."

"With the number of extinct clans in this village…" Yugao shakes her head. "Well, the girl seems talented. Do you think she has the guts?"

"Maybe, maybe not. We'll soon know." Hayate sighs. "Because luckily for the council,"

Orihime sinks yet another blade into the bulls-eye. For as gentle as her features look, they turn as sharp as the knives in her hands once locked on the target. It really does remind Hayate of his childhood, of the day an older girl named Ueda arrived at the Academy with death and war in her eyes. He can't decide whether or not to smile.

"Power runs through that brat's blood."

* * *

Heyoooo. Thanks for reading chapter 2! Hope it was entertaining!

Orihime: This story is going to be following Orihime Hatake, a polite and hardworking ninja prodigy. Despite aiming to graduate early, Orihime displays a generally mild and sweet personality. In this chapter I just wanted to put forth the basis for her character: she has close ties to the adults in her life and focuses on emulating them, but cannot escape nor really understand the insecurities that she faces, which is natural for a young girl like herself. Maybe she comes across as _too_ normal for the Naruto-verse, but I swear she's a more interesting character than she lets on! I'm sure many of you can infer from Hayate and Yugao's chat at the end of the chapter about the changes she will undergo and her future place in Konoha.

Anyway, thank you once again for reading and for putting up with my chatty self *bows*.

I hope you stick with me!


	3. Chapter 3: Seiyuri Nara

Ayyyy guys I'm back. No Orihime in this chapter, but we meet a new character!

* * *

 **Black Camellia**

By Sparrow-chan

 **…**

 **PART 1:** Heaven

Chapter 3: Seiyuri Nara

 **…**

If there was a single word to describe the teacher library of the Academy, it would be 'dark'. Konoha is usually a bright place, especially now as summer has begun, with everything awash in sunshine and the streets dry from the lack of rain. But the teacher library has always been a dark, shut up room to house materials for Academy professors.

(The term 'Professor' used loosely.)

The windows are dressed in old, dark green drapes dating back to the very construction of the building, which no one ever cared to hang properly. The scratched up windows are glued shut for safety sake, and covered with a film of muck and smudges. The overhead lights are conspicuously dimmed. Perhaps somebody forgot to screw in the lightbulbs tight enough, but the Chunin teachers believe they were installed that way to give the room a moldy, haunted feeling.

Iruka Umino is not afraid of the teacher's library. Not that any of the ninja-teachers are actually _afraid_ of a small book room, but it's a popular game amongst them to make up ghost stories about the area to thrill one another. During the off-hours they go in and light candles, trying to summon spirits with goofy smiles plastered to their faces. Iruka doesn't play those games. Sure he's been to a few of the "seances", but it was usually in pursuit of a cute girl that he was lured there in the first place. Aside from those times, he treats the teacher library like a teacher library- though admits it is in dire need of a makeover.

He signs his name onto the sign-out sheet below Madoka Suzuki and Nagahito Kito, reflecting on this with a triumphant smile. Iruka knows "not being scared of a room" is a silly reason to boast, but he takes pride in his hard earned maturity. After inserting his teacher's key into the lock, the old wooden door swings open with a chilling creak, allowing him entry. What brought him to the library was an old textbook entitled _Classic Fighting Techniques,_ which outlines how to instruct children on beginner's taijutsu. After years of teaching he should have the lecture down pat, but it never hurts to brush up, especially on physical lessons. He wanders past the circular table in the entryway, eyeing the melted candles placed around a cardboard ouija board. His fingers skim along the bookbines of the first bookcase, frowning at the dust collected by doing so. It feels like no matter how often it's cleaned, the grime never falls away.

 _Classic Fighting Techniques_ is on the second level of the shelf, a green book with plain black writing. He turns it over to check for damage, scrutinizing a round coffee-cup stain on the back. One of his colleagues must've gotten sloppy and was too embarrassed to admit his mistake. He begins to turn away when a imbalance catches his notice. The layer of dust on the shelf below _Classing Fighting Techniques_ was disturbed in two places, where books had been taken out. He eyes it, and steps back, scanning the rest of the shelves. Sure enough, there are several empty slots and places of disturbed dust spanning the whole bookcase.

 _...Weren't there only two other names listed on the sign out sheet?_

There was no way Madoka (an Academy nurse), or Nagahito (who teaches basic kenjutsu), would need (he counts quietly) _twelve_ books. At that moment, a streak of light flashes across the far wall. He turns his head towards it, shocked by the brightness. The windows couldn't possibly let such brightness into this dim room.

 _The book thief is still here._

Iruka stills his breathing and feels out the room. The thief clearly heard Iruka come in, since the door creaked sharply and he didn't bother masking his footsteps, but didn't hide their presence. Now focused, Iruka can hear the soft rustling of pages turning and see casual streaks of light dancing on the far wall. Iruka centers himself and makes his footsteps invisible, moving like air. He passes rows of bookcases, concentrating on the actions of the intruder. When he makes it past the fifth bookcase and peers around it carefully, he is confronted with the culprit.

His shoulders drop from their tense position to an irritated slump.

The teacher library technically has two ends: the front with a circular table where the teachers goof off, and the back, which one reaches after passing by the bookcases. It matches the front, but people don't hang out back here unless they really want to freak out their comrades. Like in the front, a circular table sits in the center of the small space. Rather than an ouija board, several stacks of books are placed neatly around a few pens and papers. And instead of a smirking Chunin telling a ghost story, a young girl sits in one of the empty chairs. In one hand, she holds a flashlight, and in the other, a book. Her dark brown eyes flicker up to meet his.

"Iruka." She greets, sounding vaguely bored and not at all surprised. "I didn't think Chunin came back here. The other ones who heard me squealed about a...Ghost?"

A flame of anger catches inside of Iruka's stomach. There is only one student who has the nerve to call him by his first name without adding '-sensei' to the end.

"Seiyuri, students are not allowed in here. It's restricted to staff only!"

"How do you know I wasn't given permission?"

Iruka no longer stands by the bookcase but moves before her makeshift desk, scanning the texts she picked out for herself. Several textbooks about genjutsu, scrolls on taijutsu, _A History of Warfare During the Third Shinobi War…_

"These are advanced, Seiyuri," Iruka glares at his student pointedly. He demands, "Who gave you permission?"

Seiyuri stares for a moment at her teacher. Iruka has always found a quality or trait about a trainee that made them unique or likable. With Seiyuri Nara, it's been more complicated than that. From day one, he knew she was different. Her sharp eyes, intense personality, hungry expression...She was sickeningly charming and intensely curious, traits he always believed were a bad combination for anyone to possess. And while he believes all his students are precious to him, it would make him a hypocrite not to admit some are dearer than others.

Seiyuri smiles, showing off her straight teeth. She reaches into a bag sitting at her feet on the floor and pulls out a key chain. Sorting through the metal keys, she lifts one up to show him. Iruka eyes it. It's a teacher's key, with a little 'M' engraved on it-

Iruka feels his throat choke up.

"Mitsuki," He manages, blinking away his shock. "What, you're saying he-"

"Before he left to pull that 'scroll' stunt," Seiyuri shrugs. "I asked. My argument for it was quite persuasive, by the way. But he didn't bother listening to half of it before giving me his copy."

"And that didn't surprise you?"

"Not really. He was acting weird. Vaguely malicious. Not that I ever thought he was a good person." Seiyuri sets down the keys and flips open _Placing_ _Advanced Genjutsu During Combat_. "So, what exactly did he do?"

Knowing his student won't budge through yelling or scolding, Iruka sits back in the chair across from her.

"Should I even try to convince you to leave?"

"Please do. I like a good debate."

Iruka crosses his arms over his chest and takes a deep breath.

"Mitsuki attempted to abandon the village with a precious artifact."

"He almost got away with it." Seiyuri peers up from her reading. "We should have a tighter security net. What's currently in place is hardly agreeable."

Iruka waves his hand in the air.

"No offense, Seiyuri, but you just made Genin. We don't tell rookies about the extent of our security systems until they've gotten more experience."

Seiyuri bristles, but makes no move to correct him.

"I intend to participate in the next Chunin exam," She reveals. A flicker of horror flies through Iruka as he gazes at his student. Chunin is no joke. When he gets stressed, he has nightmares about the events of _his_ Chunin exam: the darkness of the Forbidden forest, the blood of monsters streaming down his arms, friends from other squads screaming in the distance...

"Your sensei will never allow it." Iruka dismisses her once again. A grin slides onto her face. The distinct feeling of having fallen into a trap passes over Iruka.

"So, the Genin squads have already been sorted out?"

 _I should've known._

"You'll find out with the other kids."

"You're the one who brought it up." Seiyuri points out. The topic interests her so much she sets down her book and spreads her hands. An amiable smile crosses her lips. He can practically feel her dialling up the charm, bringing forth all her influential powers.

 _There's nothing worse than a forceful Nara._

Seiyuri's piercing eyes slice through his thoughts.

"What's a day?" She murmurs, leaning over the table, her elbows perched now on the wood. "It's not exactly classified information."

Iruka purses his lips. It hurts his pride to admit he is almost swayed. Her purring voice and steady gaze is hypnotic. She wants knowledge, and having seen the keys jangling in her bag, she knows how to obtain it.

"The other Genin are probably at home praying to be placed with their crushes," She goes on, her voice dipping lower. "But I'm more invested than that. Especially since I know that there is a problem with the graduating group."

"Oh?"

"Well, 28 graduates...Teams of 3…" Seiyuri raises an eyebrow coyly. "It's not divisible."

"Observant."

"Not particularly." Seiyuri shrugs, using her hand to check if her ponytail has become frizzy. She lodges her fingers in her curly hair and plays with the wild strands. "So, what'll it be? Had Naruto not been passed, things would've been neater. How do we deal with this little problem?"

"It's already been sorted out," Iruka rolls his eyes. Seiyuri's grin makes him wince.

"Oh, so you _do_ know the teams, then? Good. Because if no one is getting dropped- and there's no way you'd drop Naruto now- that means someone is getting promoted." Seiyuri bats her eyelashes.

Iruka presses his lips together tightly before relenting. He's lost to a twelve year old.

"So you know about Orihime, then?"

Seiyuri's expression freezes.

"Orihime?"

All of a sudden, Iruka's throat tightens up.

 _He hadn't lost to a twelve year old, he hadn't lost to a twelve year old!_

Seiyuri narrows her eyes at him with suspicion.

"I was under the impression that a high-achieving Genin was going to be placed with an older Genin team…You know, a squad in need of an extra member, a cell of two?" She straightens with realization. "Don't tell me you're letting younger students graduate early?"

"So you thought you were gonna be the "high achiever" placed with an older team, huh?"

"You're not getting out of this conversation, Iruka," She deadpans. "Orihime. Stats."

"She's-" He wonders why he's even trying to justify himself. "She's capable. She has impressive intelligence and natural talent. The clone jutsu was easy for her."

"The clone jutsu is easy for anyone. And it's impractical." He's heard this argument before, during her graduation test. She squinted her eyes at them and bared her teeth, listing all the reasons why the Academy is inefficient. According to her, the exam was the perfect place for her to list complaints since Mitsuki and him couldn't leave until she performed the jutsu, which she executed smoothly after fifteen minutes of ranting. "Why should I put faith in her?"

"Because she has skill. And your 'faith' is irrelevant."

"Not if she's on my team." The Nara stands suddenly, as if to highlight her point. "If she's on my team, and we get failed by our jonin-sensei's test because she's not ready, then I'm the one going back to the Academy."

Iruka doesn't exactly know what to say to that complaint.

"And your silence tells me that she is, in fact, on my team." Seiyuri plummets back down onto her chair, crossing her arms.

"Listen, Seiyuri," Iruka leans forward. He doesn't want to comfort her, because she's a brat. But, when all is said and done, she's been _his_ brat for years now. And looking at her frustrated and nervous face, he can't deny the pity he feels. "I don't want you to fail. I don't want any of the teams to fail. That's why I conducted Orihime's advancement test myself. Trust me when I say that she's not going to drag you down."

The angsty girl's expression doesn't lighten, staying stormy and heavy. However, he can see her mind working quickly behind her dark, shiny eyes, putting together plots and strategies around this perceived handicap. Iruka supposes, if there is one trait that would endear Seiyuri to him, it would be her perseverance. She never dismays for too long before working towards a solution.

"Fine." She relents, lifting her chin. "I won't make a fuss."

Iruka smiles at her, grateful. God only knows the trouble he'd get into if Seiyuri decided to raise her voice in objection, being as she isn't even supposed to know her three-man squad until tomorrow.

Seiyuri sneers at him.

"...As long as you tell me who my other teammate is. Seeing as they're apparently _not_ another early graduate."

Iruka's jaw drops.

 _...No, I really don't like her._

* * *

Don't get used to short chapters XD.

Seiyuri: Meet our deuteragonist! She's a handful to be sure. Similar to Orihime, Seiyuri is intelligent, hardworking, and talented. However, contrary to Orihime, she's far more independent, persuasive, and at times, judgmental. Her positive and negative traits fit each other so well that often times it's difficult to pin down exact the type of person she is. Hopefully her strong presence will help balance out Orihime's quiet, wall-flower nature. Tell me what you think of her so far!

Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4: First Meeting

Hiiiii. Sorry for the long break, I had the most ridiculously crazy past few weeks at school TT_TT Are you guys ready to meet our genin team? So am I!

* * *

 **Black Camellia**

By Sparrow-Chan

 **…**

 **Part 1:** Heaven

Chapter 4: First Meeting

 **…**

 _The first thing Orihime becomes aware of is how unrealistic the world around her looks._

 _Like all dreams, it feels like a hallucination made up by the mind to fill up the darkness of sleep. Only,_ _Orihime recognizes this dream. It is her first memory. At least, the first memory she can recall. Surely there was something before it: a time when she was spoon fed, a time when she couldn't crawl, a time before she was born. But her mind goes silent when she attempts to journey beyond the square image it already shows her, a little girl kneeling in front of a grave. She knows the grave well. The name etched onto the tombstone, which she runs her tiny hands over, is familiar._

Obito Uchiha.

 _At the time when this actually occurred, she couldn't read it. Funny how, after you learn to read, you can look back to the time before and not imagine being unable to make sense of the lines and curves that create letters._ Uchiha _, she traces with her stubby fingers._ Obito _, she tries to pronounce slowly._ _She smiles at the name, admiring the pretty bouquet placed on the stone by her mother. Asako- or, the shadow of her which exists in Orihime's mind- wanders away into the other rows of names, pausing at each one like it's particularly special._ _The scent of lilies and wet grass raises up from the dirt below, encasing her in the kind of fuzzy cotton dreams are made of._ _Then something else happens- a change in mood, atmosphere, tone- and her father appears. He crashes down to his knees in front of the tombstone, squeezing his fists tightly._

 _"Daddy?" She turns her head towards him, worried. She reaches out to touch him, grabbing ahold of his sleeve. Her voice is small and slurred. "Wut's wrong?"_

 _Kakashi looks at her with one black eye and one red eye. There is so_ much _in his expression- sadness, resignation, tiredness. He picks her up by her armpits and sits her down on his lap, pressing his chin down almost painfully atop her head. She drags herself away, confused. He stares down at her, looking alien._

 _"Did you forget?" He asks. Is this a part of her memory or is recollection and dream blending together? The background rips away the clouds to reveal a pitch-black sky speckled with stars. The grass underfoot turns to mud, and shadows reach up with black hands to dig their nails into her skin. She attempts to lean away, feeling chilled by the breath of an ominous wind. Panic tugs violently at her guts. Kakashi looks past her lifelessly, like a puppet with shiny, dulled eyes._

 _"Forget?" She asks, quivering with fear._

 _Kakashi's black eye turns red._

 _"Did you?"_

 _Someone else's voice, a fragile whisper._

 _"Sometimes, I think I should just die._ "

 **...**

Orihime groggily awakens to her white ceiling staring down at her.

 _That was not pleasant._

But the memory of her nightmare is already fading away, disappearing like the night at daybreak. Her whole room is brightened by sunshine coming in from the white-curtained windows, light pouring in to illuminate her neat and girlish bedroom. She allows herself to lay still, simply breathing. She never needs an alarm to wake up in the morning. It may have something to do with the fact that her father has her go to bed early, but she always awakens as the sun turns from the rosy red dawn to pale yellow rays.

After five breathes, she decides its time to move on to the rigidity of her morning routine.

She pushes herself up and holds her stuffed toy- Mr. Pumpkin- against her chest, snuggling it with remnants of sleep. She checks the clock. _7:00 am,_ it reads. A small yawn, a smaller sneeze, and she slips out of her pink-duvet covered bed. Her feet lower into slippers placed strategically beside her bed, and she pads softly to the bathroom. Once done with her morning preening, she sneaks quietly through the living room to the kitchen. She likes to think it's her domain, though she needs a step stool to reach the tabletops and has to crawl onto the counters to reach the upper cabinets. But there is a glorious simplicity to the kitchen: no work done is wasted.

She flips open one of the cook books kept stacked neatly next to the sink.

 _Omelettes?_ _Omelettes._

She beats eggs, shreds cheese, slices up bell peppers and cooks bacon. By the time she plates the second omelette, her special two-cheese delight, the tea kettle begins to whistle. On her way to the stove, she deposits the omelettes into the oven to keep them warm while she waits for Kakashi to awaken.

 _What kind of tea?_

Earl Grey is good for the mornings, she's read. She doesn't like making coffee. The smell is too strong, it makes her nose crinkle up with disdain. Not to mention her dad always gets too jumpy after drinking it. He is not a man who should be over-excited about anything; it doesn't fit in well with his cool demeanor.

"You know, I could cook for you for a change," Orihime smiles at the hot water she pours.

"Good morning, Daddy!" Once placing the kettle down, she hops off of her stool and half-skips to the kitchen entrance. Kakashi yawns and runs a hand through his silver hair, using his free hand to pat Orihime's head once she's firmly attached herself to his left leg. With her forehead presses against his stomach, Orihime lovingly snuggles her father. "How'd you sleep?"

"Well," In a smooth motion, Kakashi sweeps Orihime up from under her knees, grabbing the mugs of tea to take into the living room. "I didn't dream much. Did you?"

"Yeah, but I don't remember them." She laughs. He puts her down at their dining table, setting the mug decorated with hearts in front of her and the other plain black mug at the head of the table. When he goes into the kitchen to retrieve their meals, she sips at her drink.

 _Needs sugar._

"I probably shouldn't let you drink tea. It has caffeine."

"Is it bad for me?"

"Well, yes, but just because you're still growing." Kakashi returns and sets her breakfast in front of her. "You know, you're so short, you need all the milk and sleep you can get."

"I'm sorry."

"It's a joke."

"Oh. Hey, guess what?"

"What?"

"Did you forget?"

"Uhh…It's your birthday?"

"No, silly! Today's the day!"

"Ah." He smiles. Or she thinks he does. It's hard to tell since his mask is already on, but she can hear it in his voice. When he pulls down the mask to eat the breakfast she made, her assumption is proven correct. Orihime admires her father's face, from his thin eyebrows down to his narrow jaw line. She doesn't know why he choses to wear a mask, though he said something or other about it being used as a disguise- since people don't know his real face, it's easy for him to escape tricky situations. Uncle Guy told her in a whisper that Kakashi wears the mask because he feels vulnerable without it on- it's a way for him to hide. Orihime doesn't believe Uncle Guy. Her dad's so handsome and talented that there shouldn't be anything for him to be have to hide from. "You're meeting your Genin team."

People often tell her she looks like her father, but those are the people who didn't know her mother. Guy raves about how much she resembles Asako.

"Yes!" She tucks into the two-cheese delight. "And you're meeting yours, too."

"Hm," He leans back. "We'll see about that. I bet they'll be another rowdy group of brats."

"I'm sure they'll be better than the last one," Orihime offers shyly. "I bet you'll like them! And I bet I'll like them too, and my teammates."

He stares at her for a minute, one dark gray eye staring at her and the other one, the scarred one, sealed shut. Sometimes, staring at the thin horizontal scar draped over her father's left eye gives her chills. She feels guilty, like he gained that scar because no one protected him. How that relates to her is difficult to explain, mostly because it doesn't.

"Ori?"

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you're ready to graduate so soon?"

"Huh?" Confusion comes across clearly in her voice. A small prick of shame stings her stomach.

 _Does he think I'm not ready?_

Blood floats up to her cheeks, painting them pink.

"You've qualified to graduate early, but you've only been going to the Academy for a year...Don't you want to stay with your friends from your class instead of being placed with the older kids?"

"Um," Discomfort racks her body. She is not used to being doubted, especially by those she trusts. Even though she knows better, his words feel purposefully hurtful. It's as though the stool she used in the kitchen came out from under her, a stool she had always known to be sturdy and trustworthy. "It's not that I don't like my friends...But I think I've worked hard. And my teachers say I'd benefit from being placed with a more advanced group. Is that...Okay?"

"Ah," Kakashi leans forward and pats her head. "I didn't mean to fluster you, Orihime. I'm just worried because you're young."

"You became a Chunin when you were two years younger than me." She points out, but not angrily. In fact, her father's gentle stroking of her hair makes her feel warm.

"You're right," He smiles more. "I should put more faith in my daughter. I'm proud!"

She beams.

"Well, no time to waste!" Eagerly, she finishes her breakfast. "I don't want to be late!"

"Eh…Relax a little longer."

"You don't want to be late again, do you?"

"...It's not that bad a habit…"

 **…**

"What are the rules?"

"Do what my sensei says, be polite to my teammates, and never let my guard down."

"Good girl."

Kakashi locks up their apartment, slides his key into his pocket and hands Orihime her copy. She strings it quickly onto a thin necklace chain and puts it around her neck before tucking it underneath her shirt. Kakashi offers his hand, and she takes it energetically. When thinking about a ninja village, the mind tends to stray to a place hidden in the folds of shadows, concealed in mist and secrets. Konoha is not like that. Surrounded by a perimeter wall and built in a perfect circle, Konoha basks in the sunlight. On it's founding, no one expected it to grow as large as it has several generations later. Because of that, the traditional clans have plenty of space on their marked plots of land and everyone else- civilians and lesser ninja alike- live in apartments slapped together with slabs of wood and black tubes. On the walls, posters and plaster are spread only a few feet apart, depicting art, new products, and notices.

On the Hatakes' way to the Academy, they pass the tea shop on the corner near their apartment and wave at their grocer. Her father's eyes catch on his favorite book store, and he looks longingly at the titles displayed through the glass. When his feet begin to stray towards it, she gently pulls him back onto a straight line by their linked hands. They pass a tailor's. She looks at it happily, then down at her clothes. _Ninja gear._ She pestered Kakashi into taking her shopping when she graduated, so she'd look prepared for combat. The lady who works there helped her chose something, and was extra nice to her dad. She told Orihime she thought he was cool, and Orihime has to agree, her dad _is_ cool. Of course, the lady expressed disappointment she choses to wear a mask like her father, and tried to coax her into taking it off. But Ori likes the mask, how it fits snuggly against her nose and cheeks. She feels strong when she wears it, like she's absorbed some of her dad's strength through his trademark apparel.

"I can't believe you ditched the polka-dots." Kakashi speaks up, having followed her line of sight. "I loved the polka dots. You were so cute."

She blushes. A twinge of guilt tickles her stomach.

"I mean, I still like them. I'll wear it on my days off, I promise."

"I'm just teasing." He amends, half-laughing. As they near the Academy, Kakashi's feet begin to drag more and more.

"Daddy..."

"We aren't on time," He sulks. "We're early."

"Being punctual isn't bad. Lord Hokage isn't going to wait for you to give out the team assignments."

"He might." Kakashi shrugs his shoulders. "How about you go in and I'll run and say hello to Obito?"

"Uncle Obito?" Orihime considers it, looking at the entrance to the Academy. They may be early, but freshly-minted Genin are already swarming there, pointing at their shiny forehead protectors and cracking jokes. They look chummy and tightly-knit, and significantly larger than her.

"...Actually, I can be early once," He straightens up casually. "I'll walk you in."

"Uh-" She realizes that no parent stands behind their Genin child. On the contrary, they huddle at the edges, leaving their children at the boundary to go inside alone. "No, go visit Uncle."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She hugs her father tightly, taking in his warmth as encouragement. "I'll be okay. I'm good at making friends. And you should ask Uncle to help you with your team!"

Kakashi scratches his cheek. Then he kneels down and taps the same cheek, smiling with his one showing eye.

"Okay, I will. And I'll try not to be late."

Orihime leans forward to kiss him, but pauses.

"You know, we both are wearing masks."

"Huh," Kakashi cocks his head. "Right. I guess my little girl can't say a proper goodbye anymore…"

Quickly, she pulls the navy fabric down over her lips and presses a kiss to his cheek.

"Bye, Daddy."

"See you soon. Be good."

She turns away from him, taking a deep breath to settle herself. Waking into the Academy never felt like such an undertaking before now. Just _looking_ at her fellow graduates makes her shrink inwardly. But, like Uncle Guy says, _"Youth is a pool of opportunity- dive in!"_. The early bird doesn't get the worm by simply _getting_ there first; it has to have the guts to lunge before anyone else, too.

She now understands what Guy said about Kakashi's mask. She feels safer hidden behind the thin fabric than she would otherwise.

 **...**

At first, no one notices Orihime as she sneaks through the Academy.

She feels a little guilty, having told her father that she'd make friends, but having to look up at strangers doesn't make her feel very friendly. It's easier to take advantage of her small stature and slip through the halls quietly. She catches herself moving towards her old classroom, and sees a gaggle of her friends hovering outside the door and giggling. They spring up when they notice her, waving enthusiastically. They point at her forehead protector and yell praise. She nods eagerly before ascending the staircase with hot cheeks and several staring eyes.

Once she is inside the halls of the upper levels (the levels of the older kids) she begins to be pointed out. A few of her fellow Genin study her with various levels of apathy and puzzlement as she moves through the hall. Her stomach churns, threatening her with the prospect of vomit, which makes her even more nervous. When she thinks about it, she doesn't even know what she's nervous _about._ She always imagined she'd be proud to graduate early, excited to meet her Genin team. And she does feel those emotions; its hard not to. But being unknown and young and totally alone weighs on her just as heavily.

She stops in front of the classroom she was directed to go to by Iruka the day before, staring at the closed door. Maybe she should rethink this. Go back downstairs and talk to her friends, feel their support and confide in them. But if she leaves now, it will look even more strange to those staring than if she goes in.

"Hey." Startled, she jumps nearly a foot in the air. Shikamaru Nara materializes beside her with a yawn.

"G-good morning." She timidly responds, shocked. Shikamaru looks like the average civilian, not the heir to an old clan. He wears plain, baggy clothes and has passable looks. But what sets him apart from most are his pissed-off eyes. It's like everything he sees his a disappointment, even when he's not really paying attention. He stuffs his hands in his pockets in a manner that mirrors Kakashi's habit, tilting his head to stare at her sideways.

"Orihime, right? Yeah. You really graduated early, huh?"

 _Oh my God_. Conversation _. Be charming!_

"Yes, I did. How are you?"

 _Dad would be so proud!_

"Fine…" He sighs. "This is such a drag. My sister made me come an hour early."

Her pulse quickens. She hasn't spoken to Shikamaru much- in fact, she can count the number of times on her hand. They met when she was out with Uncle Guy and he decided to take her to the Nara clan's compound so he could return a weapon he borrowed from the clan head. Shikaku Nara greeted them very politely, but the scars scraping over his face made him permanently intimidating. Just as Guy was about to adhere to her subtle gestures to leave, Shikamaru appeared from a long hallway wearing a plain grey kimono. Shikaku said,

 _"Ah, Guy, you know Shikamaru. Shikamaru, this is Orihime, Kakashi Hatake's daughter. How about you two play so Guy and I can chat?"_

 _"I'm avoiding Seiyuri, Dad. She's being a pain. Can I go hide somewhere?"_ Shikamaru scuffed his feet on the floor. At that time, she thought that he looked a lot like sandpaper: visually interesting, but undeniably rough.

 _"Only if you take Orihime with you."_ Shikaku had responded, apathetic to his son's apparent plight.

So, Shikamaru took her to a far corner of their house to hide out underneath a desk in the library. They didn't talk much- Shikamaru justified it by whispering that they had to be quiet to avoid his sister, whom he described as _too damn competitive_. It was hard to relax in that silence, sitting next to a prickly boy in a silent library. Once Guy found them, she silently rejoiced at the prospect of going home. From then on, their interactions were limited to him calling out a hello now and then, which always surprised her so much that her replies were often stuttered. But now, she's grateful for the conversation, and pounces on the opportunity to make a friend.

"A-at least your sister values being early. My dad has a habit of being late."

"Eeeeh…" He drawls when he speaks. She can't tell if he's still interested in the conversation. "Does that bother you?"

"Not really. Though sometimes it feels like I'm the parent."

He pivots towards the classroom.

"Are you going in?"

"Yes!" She eagerly slides opens the door and holds it for him. Shikamaru raises a brow, but says 'thank you' as he enters. She follows him like a duckling, wondering if he's bothered by her sudden clinginess. From his posture, it doesn't seem like it, but her worry prompts her to ask if she can sit beside him and a broadly built boy. He says yes without thinking, resting his chin in his palm and closing his eyes. It appears just being in the classroom makes him laboriously tired. Neither herself, Shikamaru, or the other boy- identified as Choji- say anything for a long while. The silence allows her to drift off into her thoughts and worries. Luckily, Shikamaru and Choji's presence next to her has kept other children from scrutinizing her too hard, though she gets looks. She hears someone whisper,

 _"She's too young. Give it a few weeks..."_

Her hands fist in her lap. To distract herself from her own thoughts, she watches Genin enter the classroom: an unkept boy with a small puppy curled up in his hair, a blond boy wearing a bright orange jumpsuit, a girl in beige with a pixie-cut. A boy in dark blue wearing a displeased expression- Orihime's eyes lock onto Sasuke Uchiha and stay fixed on his form. She knows Sasuke pretty well actually. According to stories, her mother and Sasuke's parents were good friends, and as a result she was often babysat by their family. Sasuke looks totally different from the vague memories she has of those times. Instead of a smiley boy, his face is cold and hard. A permanent scowl stains his lips, and his eyes focus on an invisible landmark straight ahead of him. It's like his body has become a vessel containing an infinite range of emotions; sadness, anger, contempt, loneliness.

She lowers her eyes. No one ever directly told her what happened to the Uchiha clan, but she saw the graves next to Uncle Obito's. One day they weren't there, and the next, they all were. It was too long ago for her to remember anyone except for Sasuke and his older brother, so she never felt the true weight of the loss despite missing them. The way that Sasuke looks, it seems like he has never forgotten the full impact.

Orihime averts her gaze, now distracted with going over what she knows about the Uchiha and saying a prayer to Uncle Obito and wondering if her dad's going to be on time or not.

"Naruto kissed Sasuke!"

Orihime swivels her head in the direction of the shout, but a pack of screeching girls blocks her view of action. Kids begin to jeer and laugh at the mishap, bringing equal parts interest and discomfort to Orihime. The only way she can relive the moment is by shyly asking one of the other girls in the class about it, who describes it to her in a dramatic fashion.

"That Naruto…" The girl growls, tossing her long blond hair behind her shoulder. "I can't believe him sometimes."

 _It was an accident…_

"I'm sure he didn't mean any harm," Orihime attempts to sooth her.

"Hah. No chance of that," The older girl shrugs. "Oh well. As long as that Sakura doesn't get to be on a team with Sasuke…" Her pupil-less blue eyes focus on her. "You're not aiming for Sasuke too, are you?"

"Huh?" Orihime vehemently shakes her head. "No."

"Ah, I'm paranoid. You're what, eight? Nine? No chance of you having interest," She laughs before abruptly stopping. "Why are you here, anyway?"

"Leave her alone, Ino." Orihime jumps. Shikamaru awakens next to her, turning his head towards the blond girl. "She's a graduate."

"What?"

"The forehead protector. She's a Genin, like us."

"Whaaat? This little shrimp?"

"Some people do manage to graduate early, you know."

Maybe it's Orihime's imagination, but Shikamaru's voice sounds clipped. Choji reaches into his knapsack and pulls out a bag of potato chips, his beady eyes shifting between the two.

"Geez, okay, whatever." Ino raises her hands and rolls her eyes. She turns back to Orihime. "I wasn't bothering you, right?"

"..." Orihime peaks between Shikamaru and Ino, wondering what to say. "...Right."

"Told you," Ino smirks before prancing off. Shikamaru sighs.

"Sorry about that, Orihime."

"It's no problem," She responds. "Actually, I'm just worried now I'll end up on a team with Sasuke and Ino will think I'm a liar..."

The Nara boy stares at her, his mouth slightly opened in disbelief. He scratches the top of his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Don't let girls like Ino push you around, okay, Orihime?"

"...Okay, I won't." Personally, she didn't think Ino had crossed any major boundaries. She was curious. Everyone in the class, of the ones who noticed her at least, were probably curious.

"Especially not…" Shikamaru stares at her. On cue, he sighs. It's like he's on a timer. "What a drag…"

"Shikamaru?"

"Yeah?"

"Um…" She bites the inside of her lip. "Why are you-"

 _Being so nice to me_ , would have finished her question, if Iruka-sensei didn't walk in at that very moment. She snaps to attention even before he raises a hand for everyone to settle down, her nerves firing off wildly. Her foot twitches, and it alarms her enough she peaks below her desk to watch it do it again.

"Everyone!" Iruka smiles, hands behind his back. "Congratulations on graduating! From this day forward, you are no longer mere students, but full-fledged shinobi. But, among the ranks of the shinobi, you are just novices, the lowest of the low. Your greatest challenges all lie ahead."

Orihime's back strains under her rigid, straight posture. She can hardly contain all the energy flowing through her. It's so exciting she wants to tell someone how she feels. Of course, talking during a presentation as important as this would be inappropriate.

"The next step is to assign you all official duties. We will start by dividing you into three-man cells, each of which will be mentored by a Jonin who will guide and coach you while you become familiar with your various assignments."

A buzz. Apparently the rest of the kids aren't as against chatting with their friends as she is. Several Genin raise their hands with rigor.

"Quiet down," Iruka says patiently, expecting the rise in chatter. "Before you start asking to be put with your friends," From behind his back, Iruka produces a clipboard, "I made the selections so that each cell's abilities would be equal."

A low groan.

"Tough." Iruka deadpans. "Let's see...I'm going to call out three names, and those called will be placed together on a team. Got it? Good. Let's begin..."

Iruka calls three names. And then another three. And another.

The whole time, Orihime sits on the edge of her seat, breath caught in her throat. As each name is called, her heart swells, her emotions arcing wildly. Then Iruka comes to the final name in the trio and her heart falls inevitably falls into disappointment.

 _I shouldn't get so irritated. Be calm. It's all going to be fine._

She focuses on these meditations, cooling down her prickly nervousness.

"Team 7...Naruto Uzumaki."

 _Ba-bump._

"Sakura Haruno."

 _Ba-bump, ba-bump, babump, babump._

"And Sasuke Uchiha."

She falters. She folds her hands in her lap, now feeling a bit abused by the wait she endures. Naruto, the blond boy wearing bright orange, slams his hands on the tabletop.

"IRUKA-SENSEI, WHY DO _I_ HAVE TO BE ON A TEAM WITH SASUKE OF ALL PEOPLE?"

Suddenly, she's not so upset her name wasn't called after Sakura's. After Naruto is berated by Iruka, the teacher returns to his clipboard to finish the assignments.

"Team 13," Iruka scans the bottom of the paper. "Seiyuri Nara."

A girl in the front row perks up. Orihime's lips part slightly as she realizes Seiyuri is in the room. Somehow, when Ori didn't see a female version of Shikamaru slumped in the back of the classroom, her anxious mind wrote the second Nara off. The girl turns her head, revealing a rather pinched face- sharp nose, sharp eyes, sharp eyebrows...Like Shikamaru, and yet somehow completely different. Orihime is fascinated by her for a moment, from the light spray of freckles dotting her cheeks to the wild curls sitting above her shoulders. Iruka continues,

"Kira Inuzuka." A grunt. Seiyuri and Orihime's eyes both dart to the back of the classroom, landing on a boy standing in the doorway. Kira Inuzuka is tall for their age, with an unkempt mop of brown hair slathered over his head. On each cheek, two thin blood-red fangs are painted carefully, and three red dots sit above his left eyebrow.

 _If Daddy were here, he'd probably say, 'that boy looks like trouble.'_

"And Orihime Hatake." Orihime jolts to attention. She has been hoping for her name to be called, nervous and pent-up. Now all the tension in her body rushes out all at once, like water breaking through a decayed dam. A small smile breaks out on her face as excitement takes the place of anxiety. Then she realizes she's being watched. The other Genin stare unabashedly, curious and unimpressed and questioning, all as intense as spotlights. Amongst these gazes, Orihime almost misses two pointed stares from the front and back of the room. It's Seiyuri and Kira, boxing her in with their dark eyes.

Her anxiety comes back tenfold.

* * *

Iruka tells the Genin to get into their new squads and prepare to meet their Jonin sensei. His voice is cheery and optimistic, accentuating his words with a laugh. His happiness contrasts greatly with the mood Orihime encounters when she comes face to face with her teammates. She had exited into the middle aisle, thinking perhaps she and Seiyuri would walk up to meet Kira. But apparently, Kira and Seiyuri decided to meet her half way, appearing on either side of her on the stairs- Kira above, Seiyuri below. She would have been flustered by their speed if she wasn't silenced by their heavy, serious expressions.

The two older kids stare at her for a while, sizing her up, appraising her.

Kira breaks first.

"This is so stupid," He growls. His voice is deep and throaty. It's much more masculine than the other boys in the class. Now that Orihime is closer, she notices that his teeth- his canines specifically- are long and sharp. Above his slanted, feral eyes, his eyebrows sit broodingly. He wears a startlingly bright red shirt and black cargo shorts, a set of dog tags dangling from his neck.

 _He smells like dog._

"I don't blame you for thinking that way," Seiyuri responds. Orihime turns to her, called by her beautiful voice. It sounds so smooth, like dark chocolate being poured onto a cold scoop of ice cream. There are no other defining qualities about her other than that; her looks are average at best, though the more Orihime stares, the prettier the plain simplicity of her face becomes. "You're older. Of course going through this "team ceremony" twice would be annoying."

"Hah." Kira leans back and crosses his arms. _Older_. That explains why he's so much taller than them, and why his voice is so deep. _And_ why he is much more comfortable in his body than the other boys- honestly, she's embarrassed she didn't guess he was older. "It's bullshit, that's what it is. This is my fourth Genin team. You think they'd stop hounding me to attend this classroom announcement shtick."

"Fourth?" Orihime blurts out, her jaw dropping. Neither kid acknowledges she spoke.

"The other teams didn't work out, I take it."

"They couldn't keep up."

"They could've done something better."

"Pff. They coulda-" Kira stops. He looks intently at Seiyuri. Orihime's glad she's not on the receiving end of that gaze. It looks hot. Seiyuri must be made of ice not to be affected. "Why dja wanna know?"

"I'm just making conversation," Seiyuri shrugs. As a sum of her parts, she looks completely normal. This strikes Orihime, since she has a feeling that Seiyuri should be _more_ , that there should be some sort of sign about- about what? How different she is? But her sharp gaze is undermined by frizzy hair. Her coy smile is undercut by freckles. Her crystal clear voice fills up the emptiness in other people's heads.

 _Uncle Guy always says that Sirens don't have to be beautiful to lull sailors into the rocks. Kakashi smacked him upside the head and told him to get over his ex-girlfriend already._

"Hm." Kira's attention scalds Orihime. "And what the hell are you doing here, huh?"

Orihime feels herself go paler than she already is.

"I'm a graduate. This is my team."

Kira rolls his eyes.

"Obviously. I mean why _you_. You're like- like- Five."

"Nine," Seiyuri corrects.

"Eight," Orihime provides quietly.

Kira makes a face. His eyes roll back into his head as his jaw juts out to the side.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm irritated."

"Oh."

"Well," Seiyuri chimes in, smiling patiently. "Let's not get riled up. The instructors at the Academy wouldn't have allowed Orihime to graduate if they didn't have faith in her abilities."

Orihime's cheeks color.

"I'm sure that's why we were placed with you, Kira," She smiles even more largely. "Two promising Genin need a leader familiar with the ropes to help them grow."

"Huh?" Kira raises an eyebrow.

"We need you to turn us into good ninja. Someone as strong as you will be a great role model."

"Role model…" The sole boy considers this, his arms crossing. "Yeah, well, I am pretty fuckin' amazing."

"Because Kira is older, he can even out the maturity level of the team." Orihime considers that reasoning, before nodding slowly.

"And guide us younger members," Seiyuri presses. Kira chuckles and bears his teeth. It takes her a minute to recognize the act of smiling on his face.

"Heh. I am fairly bossy."

From behind Orihime, a woman chuckles. Seiyuri and Kira jump back, not having noticed the arrival of the newcomer, as Orihime stumbles forward and turns around.

 _Kawarimi no jutsu? Or is she_ just _that good?_

A tall young woman- probably Kakashi's age- stands behind them on the long bench Orihime had previously occupied. She looks delighted with herself that she managed to startle them, her light brown eyes glittering ominously.

"Hi brats."

"W-who are you?" Kira asks, growling. His eyes struggle to stay on her face and not on her mesh top. Seiyuri notices and closes the gap between them with her arm. Swiftly, she jabs him in the stomach, not looking remorseful even when he bends over in pain. Orihime's jaw drops. The woman bursts out laughing, throwing her head back. Once she calms down (and Kira stops giving Seiyuri the death glare,) the lady steps down from her higher position and nods in approval of them.

"The name's Anko." Anko leans down and smirks. "And I believe that I'm your Jonin Sensei. Let's have some fun."

* * *

HI! Thank you everyone for reading thus far! I appreciate all those who have followed, favorited and reviewed.

Orihime meets her Genin team! YAY! I've been working up to introducing them and I'm glad I finally could. I know that we've seen more of Seiyuri and Orihime than of the dirty-mouthed Kira so far, but we will get more info on him and his background later. Also yes, Anko is their jonin-sensei!

If anyone has any questions, please ask! Please review! And please keep reading! I am so grateful to everyone who has kept with me so far hahaha.

Thank you!


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